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HR in 13th inning lifts Tigers to 10-9 win over Twins

Six lead changes, five ties, four errors, two
blown saves, 25 runners left on base and at least four botched
double plays.

The series finale between the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins
was about as ugly as it gets, until Gerald Laird and Jose Valverde
finally put an end to a game that seemed like it was never going to
finish.

Laird's solo home run in the 13th inning lifted the Tigers to a
10-9 victory over the Twins in a 4-hour, 47-minute endurance test
on Thursday night.

Ryan Raburn added three hits and two RBIs after entering the
game in the sixth inning for the injured Miguel Cabrera and
Valverde (2-3) pitched a career-high three innings of relief to
help the Tigers avoid a three-game sweep.

Laird, who entered the game in the 11th inning, hit a 1-1 pitch
from Nick Blackburn (8-9) into the bullpen in left-center field for
his fifth homer of the year.

Blackburn was scheduled to start the series opener against Texas
on Friday night and the Twins also used Brian Duensing in relief
just two days after he started Game 1 against Detroit.

Duensing was scheduled to start again on Sunday, but that has
been backed up and the tentative plan is for Blackburn to start
that game. The Twins still were searching for an arm or two from
Triple-A to call up to start on Friday night.

"We're looking for about two or three (pitchers), but they're
on the road at Triple-A," said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire, who
was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing a call at second
base. "We're trying to get a hold of everybody and trying to make
decisions."

Danny Valencia had three hits and two RBIs for the Twins, who
led 7-3 going into the eighth and 9-8 in the ninth only to let both
leads slip away. They lead the White Sox by 3½ games in the AL
Central.

The Twins blew three chances at double plays, the normally
reliable bullpen gave up four runs in the eighth inning and Jesse
Crain blew a save when pressed into duty in the ninth for the
ailing Matt Capps and Brian Fuentes in a sloppy, back-and-forth
game.

The Twins also were without Jason Kubel (wrist) and Orlando
Hudson (ankle) and slugger Jim Thome (back) was limited to one
pinch-hit appearance. He struck out in the 10th.

Don Kelly's solo homer in the second inning gave the Tigers a
2-0 lead and the Twins had to rush into their bullpen when Scott
Baker left the game with pain in his right elbow after two innings.
Baker had another cortisone shot after the game and the team said
he has tendinitis in his elbow.

Jeff Manship allowed one run and four hits in four innings of
solid relief and the Twins took advantage of an error by Will
Rhymes at second base to score three unearned runs in the fifth,
getting the final one thanks to some fancy footwork by Delmon
Young.

Jason Repko singled to right field with two outs and Young came
around third trying to beat the throw from Brennan Boesch in right
field. Boesch's throw was right on the money, but Young danced
around Alex Avila's tag attempt to make it 6-3.

Valencia's third hit of the game gave the Twins a 7-3 lead
heading into the eighth, but their normally reliable bullpen and
defense faltered.

Jhonny Peralta and Raburn hit back-to-back homers, shortstop
J.J. Hardy committed a costly throwing error and Rhymes followed
with a two-run single to make the score 7-7.

Alexi Casilla's base hit gave the Twins an 8-7 lead in the
bottom of the eighth, but Crain served up the first career homer to
Casper Wells in the ninth to keep the game going.

"It was just a whole team effort tonight," Laird said. "It
was an unbelievable win."

Leading 9-8, Brandon Inge couldn't handle a hot shot at third
base from Michael Cuddyer and middle infielders Ramon Santiago and
Rhymes ran into each other while trying to turn a double play to
allow the Twins to tie the game.

"They missed double-play chances, we missed double-play
chances," Gardenhire said. "A lot of crazy things happened in the
game after that and that's why you end up having to figure out some
crazy things here and using all kinds of pitchers."

Cabrera left the game with biceps tendinitis in his left
shoulder and is listed as day-to-day.